The groundbreaking for the rebuilding of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge was held on  January 12, 2006.  The Dedication for the Bridgeton Covered Bridge was held on October 1st. After the dedication a meal was served to everyone who donated to the bridge. Click on the Dedication Link to see pictures from the event.

DVD of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Rebuild

A new organization - "Friends of Parke County Covered Bridges" - has been formed to raise money for all of the Parke County Covered Bridges. The organization is selling a DVD of the rebuilding of the Bridgeton Bridge. The title of the DVD is "Bridgeton Bridge - The Beginning of a New Era" (note, there are multiple DVDs of the rebuilding, but this is the DVD raising money for the new organization). The DVD was produced by Wood-Mizer and all of the profits will go to the support of all of the Parke County Covered Bridges. The DVD is $15 and went on sale during the Covered Bridge Festival.

To purchase the DVD through mail order please follow the Order Form link for a printable order form. You can also send an email to "webmaster@parkecountyliving.com" for more information.

Bridge Schedule

The Bridgeton Covered Bridge Association held a volunteers meeting on May 6th to share the bridge building timeline. Go to the Bridgeton Bridge Timelime for timeline published in May and see how the actual timeline compared to the original timeline.

A Message Forum has been created to capture comments about the Bridgeton Bridge. Go to the message forum to add your comments and vote on the latest poll question.

Bridgeton Covered Bridge Spans Installed

Both spans of the new Bridgeton Covered Bridge were lifted into place on Monday, August 28th. Follow the picture link to see Pictures. Or follow the video link to see a video of the bridge being lifted onto the abutments.

Bridgeton Bridge Pictures

A large number of pictures have been taken of the bridge rebuilding project. The pictures have been placed on multiple web pages to allow the pictures to load quicker. The pictures can be accessed using the quick links located below.

Quick Links to Photos
GroundBreaking Photos
February Photos
March Photos
April Photos
May Photos
June Photos
July Photos
August Photos
Bridge Lifting Photos
September Photos
Bridge Dedication
January 2007

Bridgeton Videos

I have posted a short video I shot in Bridgeton. The video was taken on August 19th and shows Raccoon Creek and dam before the new Covered Bridge is placed over the creek. Follow the Dam Video Link to see the video.

The 8/28 bridge lifting can be viewed from the Lift Video Link.

After the bridge was lifted into place the members of the building crew made the first jump from the new bridge. People have been jumping from the Bridgeton Covered Bridge for decades. Goto the 1st Jump Video Link to watch.

Bridge Lifting
August 28th
	August 28th   The Bridgeton Covered Bridge was lifted onto the abutments and piers. The bridge spans were driven onto the concrete bridge. Cranes then lifted the spans into place. I have only processed a few of the pictures to show the spans are in place. Check back to see more detailed pictures and video.
August 30th
	August 30th   The workers continue to make good progress on the bridge. The floor boards have been installed on 75% of the bridge. Work has started on one of the burr arches. Workers are also cleaning up the scrap wood piles on the construction site and staining the boards to be used as siding.
	August 30th   Work has started on the arch of the south span.
	August 30th   The floor supports have been installed across the entire bridge. 75% of the floor boards have also been installed.
	August 30th   The clean up has started on the construction site where the boards were sawed. The goal is to have the field cleaned before the Covered Bridge Festival so the field can be used for parking.
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September
September 3rd
	September 3rd   The focus has been on the south span with work being done on the arches and roof. The cleanup also continues on the scrap piles. A power tool has been loaned to saw the battens down to size.
	September 3rd   The approach on the south side has been built. The arch on the east side of the south span has been installed. The arch on the west side of the south side is in process.
	September 3rd   The work on the north approach is also in process. Cement has been poured and the supports will be installed..
	September 3rd   The siding on the bridge will be board and batten siding. A special power tool has been brought in to cut the side battens The battens are stacked and ready to be stained.
	September 3rd   The cleanup continues on the lumber scrap pile. Much of the scrap has been burned.
September 9th
	September 9th   The flooring has been installed and the installation of the arches is nearly complete. Work also continues on the roof. The supports for the siding are being installed and the battens are being stained.
	September 9th   These pictures were taken at daybreak on September 9th. The south span of the bridge is nearly ready for the siding and roof.
	September 9th   Work on the north span is only slightly behind the progress on the south span.
	September 9th   The wood pegs on the upper supports were numbered and sold to raise money for the bridge. The pegs were purchased by individuals who wanted to be part of the bridge history.
	September 9th   The staining of the battens for the siding is in process.
September 13th
	September 13th   The arches have been installed and the workers are now installing the roof. The metal has been placed on most of the west side. The nailers have been installed on the east side and is ready for the metal to be installed. After the roof is installed fire retardant will be sprayed on the lumber. After the fire retardant is sprayed the board and batten siding will be installed.
	September 13th   The west side of the roof has been installed. The siding supports have been installed.
	September 13th   The east side of the roof has nailers and is ready for the metal roof.
	September 13th   Mike Roe, owner of the Bridgeton Mill, continues to work on the mill dam while the creek is blocked. 9 square yards of cememt have been added to the dam. Mike is working on a trash gate. The trash gate prevents logs from going through the dam when the drain gates are open
September 19th
	September 19th   The siding started being installed on Monday, September 18th. By Tuesday evening the siding had been installed on the west side of the bridge. The windows were also installed on the east side of the bridge. The installation of the interior safety railing has also started.
	September 19th   The west side siding and windows have been installed.
	September 19th   The windows have been installed on the east side and it is ready for siding.
	September 19th   The installation of the interior safety railing has started from the south end.
September 24th
	September 24th   The siding has been installed on both sides. The roof has been installed on the windows and the bottom of the siding has been cut to match the arches. Since the bridge is considered a pedestrian bridge interior safety railing is required. The end has been installed on the south end of the bridge. Remaining tasks include installing siding on the north end and pouring cement approaches on both ends.
	September 24th   The south end siding has been installed. The windows have also been shingled.
	September 24th   The siding has been cut to match the shape of the arches.
	September 24th   The north end of the bridge is waiting on siding. The interior safety rail has been installed the length of the bridge.
	September 24th   Work has continued on the field that was donated for the bridge construction. Workers are needed the week of September 25th to help clean the field. The goal is to have the field back as a parking lot before the Covered Bridge Festival.
September 28th
	September 28th   The siding has been installed on the ends of the bridge and it has been painted the traditional white. The window supports have been stained. The bridge approaches were also poured. The cement has been finished in a brick pattern.
	September 28th   The siding has been installed on the north end. The cement has been poured and is curing.
	September 28th   The cement approach has been poured on the south end. The workers are cleaning up the worksite in preparation for the dedication.
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October
October 1st
	October 1st   The Bridgeton Covered Bridge was dedicated on October 1st. The bridge is now open for everyone to cross. The dedication ceremony gave a brief history of the rebuilding effort including the fund raising. A number of individuals, companies and organizations were thanked for their contribution to the rebuilding. Because of the donated time and materials the total cost of the bridge will be around $200,000. (The original estimate to rebuild the bridge was $1.5 Million). After the dedication a meal was served to everyone who donated to the bridge.
	October 1st   Parke County Commissioner Jim Meece was the master of ceremonies. Members of the design committee and building crews shared the stage.
	October 1st   A large crowd was present for the dedication.
	October 1st   Bart Barnes of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Association discusses the fundraising efforts and the cost of the bridge.
	October 1st   Dan Collom and Kathy Collom presented pictures to workers who spent time on the bridge.
	October 1st   Jim Meese presents Dan Collom and Kathy Collom with a picture.
	October 1st   Ben Hill tells how it enjoyable it was to work with everyone on this project.
	October 1st   The ribbon is cut and the crowd enters the bridge. The last picture shows walkers exiting the north side of the bridge.
	October 1st   The cement on the north end of the bridge has been engraved by the builders.
	October 1st   Walkers enjoying the new Bridgeton bridge.
	October 1st   Electical supplies were donated for the project. Lights have been installed in the bridge. Electrical outlets have been installed so additional protection can be added.
	October 1st   A free dinner was served to everyone who donated to the Bridgeton Bridge. Volunteers helped prepare and serve the food.
October 4th
	October 4th   The Bridgeton Covered Bridge is open and everyone now has the opportunity to walk through it and start building new memories.
	October 4th   Security lights have been installed in the bridge.
	October 4th   A cement bench has been installed at each end of the bridge to prevent vehicles from entering the bridge and to provide seating for visitors to enjoy the bridge.
	October 4th   Donation barrels have been setup at both ends of the bridge to collect donations for landscaping and bridge maintenance.
	October 4th   The field, where the logs were cut and the bridge assembled, is being cleaned up. All of the equipment will be removed before the Covered Bridge Festival.
October 8th
	October 8th   Bridgeton is preparing for the 50th Covered Bridge Festival. Many visitors are arriving early to see the Bridgeton Covered Bridge before the festival starts. Vendors are also setting up for the festival.
	October 8th   The Boy Scouts of Troop 311 are setting up at the new Bridgeton Firehouse. The troop sells cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, and soup beans. The troop is also raffling off a plasma television. The television will be playing a DVD of the rebuilding of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge.
October 14th
	October 14th   The 50th Parke County Covered Bridge Festival has started and the Bridgeton Covered Bridge is ready for the visitors. Here are some pictures from the first Saturday of the Bridge Festival.
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January
January 23
	January 23rd  Here is a picture of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge 12 months after the ground breaking ceremony was held. These pictures were taken after Parke County received its first measurable snowfall of 2007.
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